Precious Treasure
by illuminazione
Summary: The voice is alone in a dark, wet and cold cave. It once had friends, family, a life. Now that's all gone, but there are no regrets. The treasure is its life now. - Third part of my 120 prompts challenge. Enjoy. Now finally finished!
1. Chapter 1

Third part of my 120 prompts challenge. Part 1: Snow, Star Wars and part 2: Abandoned, Pirates of the Carribbean.

Actually this one isn't quite finished yet. It has two more parts to it, which I'll post later on.

Hope you like it. And reviews are appreciated. Always. :)

Prompt 36: Precious Treasure

Fandom: Lord of the Rings story

Character: guess... (and if you don't like guessing, it's said at the end)

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><p>"My precious", a voice screeches in the dark. It reverberates from the stone walls. "It's mine", it continues even though no one is listening, "It came to me." The voice is unpleasant, too loud, too squeaky, too harsh, too fierce. When it says "precious" (and it does that a lot) it extends the "s" and hisses it like a snake.<p>

The creature cradles the small thing like something sacred. It caresses the cold metal like a child. "We need no one else, precious", the voice whispers tenderly. There is no one else. The voice is alone in a dark, wet and cold cave. It once had friends, family, a life. Now that's all gone, but there are no regrets. The treasure is its life now.

The treasure isn't ungrateful. It delayed the death of the voice, it gifted it with strength and health. Its body, however, is skinny, dirty and pale. It is a picture of the fight that's behind that voice, because behind that voice is something that hates the treasure. Hates it with the same passion it loves it. It desperately wants the treasure to vanish, but it knows that it can't live without it. It's a conflicted voice. An unhappy voice. If there was anyone there to listen, they'd hear it. The cruelty behind it, the struggle.

"Gollum", the voice gurgles, after it took a bite of a fish, "Gollum, Gollum, Gollum!"

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><p>I know it's short, but remember. Two more parts coming.<p>

Love

satori


	2. Chapter 2

"It's mine", a much softer voice murmurs, "Why should I give it away?"

This voice doesn't have a lot in common with the tortured, screechy voice in the cave. It sounds far healthier and a lot happier. Content with itself. This voice still has a life, a family and friends. It still has a choice.

What will the voice choose?

It's not an easy choice. And no one knows what path the it will take, because the treasure has already reached with its dark, subtle fingers for the voice's heart. It has poisoned its mind with images of absolute power and its soul with a deep, aching desire.

The voice can't give it away easily. You can hear it. The possessive edge, the hard undertones. The voice is serious when it says "No". It's not joking anymore. It's not lighthearted. Somehow it knows that this decision will influence everything, but oh, the voice can't know how far its actions will reach. And it doesn't really care as it holds the gem protectively to its heart.

There had been a plan to leave it. It seemed logically at that point. But now the voice falters, because really, it could just keep it, this small thing. No harm will be done. This friend of the voice, he's being too dramatic, he's just jealous, it concludes. It is harsh now, annoyed and angry. What does its friend think he is to order it around like that? It has just changed its mind. Nothing special.

The voice will do as it pleases, because the treasure came to it and it doesn't intend to leave this magical, unique piece of metal behind.

"My precious", it whispers softly and doesn't notice how its friend grows alarmed by its utterance. "Yes, my own precious."

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><p>One part left. (When it's finished I'll post it again in one chapter.)<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

"No", the voice says. This voice is clear and determined. It has made a decision and is quite satisfied as it slips the treasure onto its finger. It ignores the horrified expression on its best friend's face, ignores when he breaks down crying desperately, because it doesn't need friends anymore. Its part of a better world now. The treasure's world.

Somewhere in the voice's mind it registered that it failed. Everything failed. All the pain and struggle, all the death and grief, all the fight for nothing. But it can't bring itself to care. The voice isn't strong enough, it has resisted for too long, it is weak and tired, it can't take it anymore. The treasure is giving power. A power too sweet to deny. Now it is feeling strong and invincible. Like nothing matters anymore, but the small thing on its finger.

Content that it finally gave in to the precious' call, to the tempting, alluring tug at his very soul. Its invisible feet leave marks on the ground and the voice vaguely notices its friend turning around tears streaming down his face. It grins manically, because friendship seems so absurd now. Friendship and loyalty and devotion seem so far away. Something from another life. A distant life. Too far gone.

The voice doesn't realize it, but the treasure has won. It always wins, always has and always will. Every living creature will sooner or later obey to its will, because that is what it had been created for. The treasure melts the poor minds that came to acquire it, it shatters their best intentions and breaks their spirits.

And there is nothing this voice or any other voice can do to stop it.

But… the treasure hadn't counted on one of its victims to be addicted enough not to leave it be. Addicted enough not to die without it. Addicted enough come back for it.

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><p>That's it. I guess. Though I may add another part.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

So this is finally finally the last part. I'm sorry it took so long. I hope you still like it :)

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><p>And so the treasure ends in the fiery depth where it has begun. Destroyed by the very power which helped create it. The lava consumes the cold metal that doesn't heat up not even in its smoldering death. The Elvish letters glow red and angry on the golden surface - a last glimpse of its dying power.<p>

_Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, Ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul._

The dark words echo from this precious thing one last time. Hollow, empty and weak. No one will ever use these verses again. The time of the Dark Lord has come to an end.

ooo

The treasure hadn't seen it coming. It was safely sitting on a small finger being carried straight back to its master. But then a ghastly screech rang from the stone walls. And suddenly there was a fight. The creature… this tortured voice from the cave came back. It didn't die. And that was wrong. It should have given up the will to live the second the treasure left it. But here it was. Fighting. Fighting for the thing, which enslaved it all those years ago. Fighting to call it its own again, although it never belonged to anyone. Fighting for the last piece of its sanity. Just fighting…

The creature clung to the newest victim like its soul clung to the object on the victim's finger. Snarling, scratching. And finally. Biting. Biting the finger off that held the precious.

ooo

The creature's name was Gollum. Once - long ago - its name had been Smeagol. But then there was the treasure and Smeagol and Gollum had fought so hard over a body, which had already been enslaved. Smeagol lost. And Gollum lost, too. But he thought he had won. Even now he felt he was the winner, believing the precious to be his again. His and his alone.

He was so happy. So exhilarated. So unbelievable joyous. They both were. Gollum and Smeagol, because the only thing they shared besides the body was their desire for the treasure. They were so excited to be reunited with their obsession that they nearly didn't notice the small person, by the name of Frodo Baggins, lurching at him.

Gollum fell. Smeagol fell. And this thing. This little harmless looking thing, which brought so much pain and suffering. This precious treasure. The One Ring fell, too.

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><p>The end.<p> 


End file.
